Cracked But Not Broken
“I’ve been struggling...I’ve had thoughts of self harm and suicide. I didn’t follow through, but I was in a dark place”. My heart stopped. I could not believe sitting next to my beautiful friend that these words were coming out of her mouth. I felt like I was being punched in the gut and wanted to vomit all simultaneously. This strong, brave, incredible woman had reached her breaking point. I just wanted to hold her and remind her that there are so many options and ways to seek help I just wanted to cry. I still want to cry just writing this.
Struggling during this time although NORMAL is not normal. Struggling is okay, but succumbing to the struggle is not. There are a multitude of ways to seek help. I can promise you that your friend would want to hear from you if you were feeling any bad feelings, let alone serious ones. No, they may not understand or feel comfortable being your rock, but they will help or get you the help you need. Mental illness is dark and hard and confusing and the people closest to you may not understand. Believe me, it is such a learning curve. It's a learning curve for everyone, but they cannot help you if they don't know you need help.
“I’m okay now” is not an acceptable response in my book, yet I’ve given it to myself and my family no less than a million times. I’m okay and I’ll be fine are huge signs that this person needs help and is still in a vulnerable place. Reach out, send a text, grab a coffee, offer to go for a walk or do laps around Target. DO SOMETHING! There is nothing acceptable about feeling alone and helpless. NOTHING! I feel like I am using so many capital letters in this post, but I want you to understand just how important and how passionate I am about this topic. My friend telling me this legitimately woke me up and truly made me realize how fragile everyone is right now. They may not show it, they may not even know that they are feeling like that, they may not have the words or courage to ask for help.
Try to be there for all of your tribe. They need you.
There are strong, beautiful women in your tribe that are breaking, cracked, but not yet broken. Don't let those beautiful souls break.
XO,